Energy harvesting systems that collect solar, vibrational, thermal or other energy from the ambient environment are very attractive for powering consumer electronic devices such as mobile phones, media players, and toys. Electrochemical batteries have provided sufficiently high power densities to support the electronic devices, but these batteries require periodic recharging and/or replacement. Various energy harvesting systems have been proposed to augment or replace conventional batteries.
A typical energy harvesting system incorporates at least one energy harvester for converting ambient energy into electrical energy. Typically energy harvesting systems can also, optionally, incorporate at least one power electronic circuit for power management. Further typical energy harvesting systems can also, optionally, incorporate at least one energy storage device (e.g., rechargeable battery). There is much research and development on various mechanisms for energy capture, storage, and delivery.
However, with respect to energy harvesting there is not typically a “one-size-fits-all” solution. Different electronic devices are often used differently (e.g., indoors vs. outdoors) and under different motional and environmental conditions. Additionally, different electronic devices have different power demands, both in the average power consumption and peak power needs. Even more so, the same electronic device, e.g., a mobile phone, may be used very differently by different types of users and/or in different circumstances. For example, a business executive may be expected to use a mobile phone much more heavily as compared to a retiree. These details are important when considering any supportive energy harvesting technology. An energy harvesting system should preferably be tailored for a specific product, and even more so, it may be desirable to be able to tailor an energy harvesting system for specific user profiles and/or to specific use profiles.